


The Art of Camouflage

by whimsicalmusings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Auror Partners, Berlin (City), Co-workers, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Eventual Romance, Gay Bar, M/M, Ministry of Magic, Slow Build Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Undercover As Gay, Undercover Missions, Undercover as a Couple, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-02-11 02:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12925692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsicalmusings/pseuds/whimsicalmusings
Summary: Ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry and Draco are working together as Aurors. They are sent to Germany on a mission that requires them to disguise themselves in a gay wizarding community by pretending to be in a relationship with one another. The rest, as you can imagine, is history....





	1. An Assignment

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Megan :) love ya 
> 
> This is my first time writing Drarry (and honestly it's not even one of my main ships) so please be patient!! I'll post updates as frequently as I can!

“Aurors Potter and Malfoy, you’ve been assigned to the case in Germany. You’ll be briefed after this meeting.” Kingsley said, glancing across the table to make eye contact with Harry as he spoke. Harry nodded. In his left periphery, he could see Draco doing the same. 

A few years ago, being placed on an assignment together might have been cause for protest. But over time, they’d learned to work together amicably. In fact, they made a strong pair on surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Harry, who excelled at defensive spells and tactical work, benefited greatly from working with someone like Draco whose strength was offensive magic. Over time, they put their childhood rivalries in the past and developed a mutual respect for each other. Harry would even go so far as to say they were approaching something verging on friendship, although he wasn’t entirely sure Draco would agree. At the very least, they could work together without openly antagonizing one another. Now, the extent of their conflict included bickering over the validity of Harry’s seniority; since he entered the Auror Training Program two years before Draco, he was _technically _Malfoy’s superior.__

____

Kingsley rattled off the remaining assignments and the meeting broke apart. Harry lingered in the room, waiting for further instructions about the briefing. Draco approached him. “Potter. What do you know about the situation in Germany?” he asked, brusquely. Even after a lengthy trial and seven years of faithful service as an Auror, there were still many who mistrusted Draco. As such, he was not always privy to the same classified information that Harry was. It was a mark of how far they’d come with one another that Draco was willing to admit his own disadvantage to Harry by asking for details. This time, however, there was nothing to tell. 

____

“More of the same,” said Harry wearily. 

____

Following the war, ex-Death Eaters and Voldemort-sympathizers who were cleared of all charges (or never formally charged with anything) faced nearly-universal loathing from the rest of the wizarding community and were the targets of occasional violent outbursts aimed at retribution. To escape this contempt, many fled the country to start over. The Ministry mistakenly made no attempt to track their movements outside of Britain. Unfortunately, several went underground while abroad and began gathering followers and stirring anti-Muggleborn sentiment. 

____

The whole nasty debacle culminated in several targeted, viscous attacks against high-profile Muggleborns in France and America. The Ministry of Magic was highly criticized by the International Confederation of Wizards and their alliance with MACUSA and several other wizarding governments was severely threatened. To ensure that nothing similar would happen again, the Ministry began regularly dispatching Aurors to track the movements of the escapees and ensure that they were not attempting to reorganize. 

____

At Harry’s words, Draco rolled his eyes. “Don’t see why they’re sending both of us then,” he said with a sigh. Harry shrugged in agreement. Draco had a point. These “missions” were generally so low-risk that an Auror-In-Training was dispatched with just one older Auror as part of their training process. All they’d be doing was disguising themselves on the outskirts of the community where the person-of-interest lived and tracking their movements for a couple weeks. It was unlikely that there would be anything to report. 

____

“Who knows,” said Harry, “maybe there’s something they haven’t told me.” 

____

Draco snorted, although not unkindly. “Highly unlikely, Potter. You’re the golden boy, even here. If something interesting was happening, you would have heard.” 

____

Harry had to admit that Draco was right. Every day at least one or two high-ranking Ministry officials stopped by his office to temp him into conversation by revealing important (and occasionally classified) matters from departments across the Ministry. Harry had noticed a disturbing trend in these meetings; most of the visitors had daughters, granddaughters or nieces roughly his age. He had hoped this was just a coincidence, but there really was no other good explanation for the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation sauntering into Harry’s office on his lunch break and casually slipping the news of his daughter’s recent promotion at the Daily Prophet into an update about the international dispute over enchanted hover-boards. Harry shuddered at the memory, and Draco raised one eyebrow questioningly. 

____

Luckily, Kingsley chose that moment to call out “Potter, Malfoy, with me!” saving Harry from explaining his thoughts. He could only imagine Draco’s sneering expression if he revealed that a significant portion of the Ministry’s highest ranking officials were courting him on behalf of their female progeny. 

____

Harry and Draco joined Kingsley on the other side of the room, where he motioned for them to sit. “You are, no doubt, familiar with the general objective of the mission?” Kingsley asked. Harry and Draco nodded in unison. 

____

“Good,” said Kingsley approvingly. “The person-of-interest is Euan Macnair. He’s the nephew of Walden Macnair, the Death Eater who is currently in Azkaban. Euan was four years ahead of you both at Hogwarts. A Slytherin…” his voice trailed off and he looked up at Draco expectantly. 

____

“I knew him,” Draco said, choosing his words carefully. “Not well or anything. He was quiet at school, mostly kept to himself. But I’m sure I could pick him out in a room.” 

____

Kingsley nodded in approval. “Perfect,” he said, “that’s what we were hoping.” 

____

“Sir,” Harry said curiously, “is he suspected of anything? Macnair? We were just wondering why you’re sending both of us…” 

____

“Ah yes, about that…” Kingsley glanced around the room uncomfortably. “You probably aren’t going to like this. Erm….where to begin?” He seemed, for once, at a loss for words. 

____

Harry and Draco glanced at each other. 

____

Collecting himself, Kingsley started again. “Macnair never formally joined up with the Death Eaters. He stayed out of the war, directly at least, and so there was nothing for which he could be convicted. Still, he harbors the same deep-rooted resentment of muggleborns as the rest of his family. In fact, many say he’s even more prejudiced than the rest of them. Which is ironic because, well, he’s openly homosexual. Or at least, he is now.” Kingsley stopped talking and looked up to see whether they were following him. Draco looked like he had just swallowed something foul. Harry’s face was blank.

____

Kingsley pressed on. “Anyways, you’d think being different himself would have made him more accepting of muggleborns, but that’s unfortunately not the case. He’s taken shelter in a gay wizarding community in Berlin, a close-knit group that has apparently embraced him in spite of his prejudice. At first we thought he might be keeping his opinions quiet for the sake of protection, but we’ve since received word that he’s been pretty vocally anti-muggle. This could just be talk, but we need to be absolutely certain. If there’s anything larger going on, we need to stop it before it becomes a problem. You understand?” 

____

Harry nodded somberly. Draco was shaking his head in agreement, but he looked as though he might be sick. 

____

“Good,” Kingsley said, “that’s why I put you both on this case. Draco, you have the advantage of knowing Macnair from school, if only as acquaintances. That should be an asset. It is imperative that you get to the bottom of this together. And _quickly. _We cannot risk another attack; international relations are strained enough right now….”__

____

____

____

“Of course,” said Harry, reassuringly. “We’ll handle it.” 

____

____

____

“There’s one more thing,” said Kingsley slowly. There was something in the tone of his voice that made Harry worried. Draco must have sensed it too because Harry felt him flinch at the words, almost imperceptibly. “I mentioned that the gay wizarding community in Berlin is tight-knit and I meant it. They are very wary of outsiders, foreigners and straight wizards alike. You will already attract enough attention for being British. I’ve discussed this at length with the other Head Aurors we believe it would be best for the mission if you pretend to be - er- romantically involved with one another while you’re abroad. It will make it easier for you to get close to Macnair and get to the bottom of things without being uncovered. If the community catches wind of the fact that you’re there to investigate Macnair, well, lets just say they’re very protective of their own. Things could get pretty unpleasant. I’d rather not have to send anyone in after you.” He said all of this while avoiding eye contact with both Harry and Draco, but when he finished he looked up. 

____

____

____

Harry was nodding, forcing a neutral expression onto his face. Of all the strange things he’d done for missions, this was probably one of the strangest. Still, they would handle it. After all, they were adults and professionals. How bad could it be? 

____

____

____

Draco, on the other hand, was making no effort to mask his displeasure. Kingsley looked at him sternly. “I know its not ideal Malfoy, but we wouldn’t ask unless we believed there was no other alternative. Can I count on you to do this?” 

____

____

____

“Yes,” Draco muttered, “just don’t expect me to be thrilled about it.” 

____

____

____

“I’ll take it,” sighed Kingsley with relief, clearly glad that the conversation was over. “You’ll take a portkey out of the Auror Headquarters at nine tomorrow morning,” he said as he stood up. “Get some sleep and make sure you’re ready.”

____

____

____


	2. Dinner With A Side of Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one without Draco...sorry!! My fics tend to be as canon-compliant as possible (with the obvious exception of the ship & plot itself) so secondary characters and their relationships are really important to me. Stay with me though; Draco is in tomorrow's chapter and it's much longer!!

That night, Harry went to Ron and Hermione’s house for dinner. When they finished eating, Harry told them about the mission with Draco while he bounced baby Rose on his knee. Ron made a face like he’d just smelled sour milk. “You and Draco? Pretending to be _together _? What was Kingsley thinking?!”__

____

Always the voice of logic, Hermione patted Harry reassuringly on the shoulder. “But you said things have been getting better between you guys; I bet it won’t be too bad! Besides, you only have to keep up the act while you’re in public. And I’m sure it’s not as big a deal as Kingsley made it out to be.” 

____

“Thanks Hermione,” Harry said gratefully, although he wasn’t sure if he believed her. Draco had looked absolutely disgusted at the thought of pretending to be gay for Harry, and he’d left when the briefing was over without so much as a goodbye or even a glance in Harry’s direction. Harry had the sinking feeling that this one mission might undo the trust and respect they’d worked to build over the last few years, a thought which made him strangely sad. Draco was an arse, but he could be funny and clever sometimes. He made long stakeouts bearable with his quips about stuffy bureaucratic Ministry officials, and Harry had come to anticipate their friendly bickering in the office. Since Ron had left the Auror Department to help George with the shop and spend more time at home with Rose, there were very few people in the office that Harry could tolerate working with. Too many Ministry officials, young and old, groveled at Harry’s feet as if he alone was capable of advancing their careers, wedding their daughters, and fulfilling their general happiness. Draco was the one person who didn’t grovel; Harry didn’t want to lose his company. 

____

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harry pressed a kiss to Rose’s soft forehead and handed her to Hermione. “I’d better get going,” he said, wearily. “Early morning tomorrow and I’d like to be well-rested.”

____

“Sure you won’t stay for a drink?” Ron asked. 

____

“I really should get back,” Harry replied, “but I’ll drop by when I get back from Germany. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of memories to drink away by then.” 

____

They all laughed, and for a moment the crushing responsibility of adulthood was lifted. For a moment they were teenagers again, just having a laugh at the expense of a classmate. Then the moment ended as the late hour caught up with Rose and she let out a loud whine. 

____

Ron stood up from his chair and crossed the room to Hermione and Rose. “We’d best get you up to bed, huh love?” Ron said lovingly to his daughter as he lifted her from Hermione’s arms. “Up you go, Dada’s going to give you a bath. How does that sound?” As they left the room and headed upstairs, Harry could hear him talking softly to Rose. “Shall I make you the colorful bubbles again? Or perhaps the enchanted fish? Which one, hmm? Both?! If you insist… but only because you’re my favorite daughter….” 

____

Hermione smiled softly as she watched them leave the room. “He’s really quite good with her,” she remarked to Harry, when Ron’s voiced had faded fully out of earshot. “I didn’t expect it, but he’s even better with her than I am.”

____

Harry felt a small twinge in his chest, the kind that occasionally made him miss Ginny. Things had run their natural course and they’d ended their relationship after she finished school. Between her schedule with the Harpies and his schedule at the Auror Office, they’d barely had any time together. Harry knew it was the right choice, but _still _… There hadn’t been anyone serious since her, and Harry was beginning to wonder if he was doomed to be alone forever, the third wheel on his best friends’ unlikely but successful pairing.__

______ _ _

For the second time that day, Harry found himself shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “You got awfully lucky,” he told Hermione with a laugh, giving her a quick hug before making his way to the fireplace. 

______ _ _

“Harry,” Hermione stopped him before he could step inside. “This mission with Draco. I don’t think it’ll be as terrible as you expect. Chin up. At the very least, you’ll have some good stories when it’s over.” Harry couldn’t help but agree. 

______ _ _

“G’nite, Hermione,” he said as he stepped into the fireplace. Then he closed his eyes and let the floo powder fall from his fingers and when he opened them again he was in his own living room once more.

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on instagram @maraudersmapped to get in touch with me and receive updates!! As always, please leave comments and kudos! Thanks for reading :)


	3. A Smattering of Freckles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this!! Hopefully this chapter is a little bit more satisfying than the last one in terms of tentative Drarry moments... 
> 
> I'm looking for a beta if anyone is interested in editing!! Shoot me a comment or a message if you're interested and you have some experience! :)

Morning came far too quickly. Harry overslept by about an hour, and as a result he barely had any time to pack. Pointing his wand haphazardly at various toiletries and articles of clothing around his bedroom, he quickly directed them into his duffel bag. There was no time for a shower or breakfast. Harry brushed his teeth, splashed some water on his face, and left for the Ministry in a rush. 

He burst into the Auror Headquarters at five of nine, hair sticking up in several directions, shirt incorrectly buttoned, with his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.  
At the sight, Draco let out a burst of laughter. “You never cease to amaze, Potter,” he chuckled, “golden boy of the Ministry indeed…”

“Sod off, Malfoy,” Harry muttered. 

“Portkey departure to Berlin in three minutes,” an automated voice announced from somewhere in the general vicinity of the ceiling. 

The message startled the lingering smile off of Draco’s face and seemed to remind him of their circumstances. He rearranged his features into a scowl reminiscent of the one he’d worn the day prior and looked icily down at Harry, who was attempting to pat his hair flat. “Enough primping, Potter,” he said sharply, “come stand by me. If you miss the portkey to fix your hair, I’ll never let you live it down.”

Minutes later they were spiraling onto the concrete of a deserted alley in Berlin. Harry stood up, brushed himself off, and looked over at Draco. It occurred to him that he had no idea where they were supposed to go. Draco answered the question as it formed on Harry’s lips. “The hotel is a few blocks away. The office booked our rooms and all that, we’ve just got to go check in. We’re using aliases of course. You’re Henry Porter and I’m Jake Malcolm. We’re… on holiday together.” He said the last sentence gingerly, as if the words left a bad taste in his mouth. 

“Don’t sound too pleased about it,” Harry grumbled. 

Shaking his head, Draco pulled out his wand and directed it at Harry. “We’ve got to change our appearances before we leave the alley,” he explained. “You’re famous and I-“ he paused self consciously and reached up to tug on a strand of his golden-white hair. “Well my hair’s rather noticeable,” he mumbled, cheeks going slightly pink, “and Macnair was a Slytherin, after all.” 

“Right,” Harry said, drawing his wand as well, “you first.” 

Draco directed his wand at various aspects of Harry’s face, softly whispering spells to alter the features. Under Draco’s careful eye, Harry’s nose lengthened slightly, his eyes turned amber brown and his hair grew light and tawny. Draco tapped Harry’s glasses and the circular wire frames were replaced with rectangular plastic ones. Most importantly, after a moment of heavy concentration, Draco managed to smooth the appearance of the skin on Harry’s forehead, covering his scar. 

“How’d you do that?” asked Harry, impressed. “I can never get my concealment spells to work that well on the scar!” 

“Practice,” Draco replied easily, but his left forearm twitched ever-so-slightly as he said it, and Harry understood. 

“Your turn,” Harry said, letting the moment pass. He pointed his wand carefully at Draco’s face and cocked his head slightly to the side, a smirk creeping across his lips.

“Potter…” Draco warned, “whatever you’re thinking, don’t you dare.” 

“I was thinking,” Harry said wickedly, “about what you might look like ginger.” 

“You wouldn’t dare!” 

“I might…” 

“Potter!” 

“Fine, fine. Brunette then. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.” 

As Draco’s hair lengthened and grew darker, Harry muttered a spell that turned his eyes a cloudy shade of blueish grey. Then, after pausing for a moment to weigh the potential consequences, he tapped his wand gently on the bridge of Draco’s nose and a light smattering of freckles appeared across his face. 

“All set,” Harry said, cheerfully. He waved his wand one last time, casting the translation charm that they would need to speak and understand German.

Draco rolled his eyes and gathered his bag from the pavement. Together, they walked to the end of the alley, where the air shimmered like an translucent curtain, separating them from the rest of the world. They stopped at the end, staring into the silvery haze. 

“As soon as we step through, we’re exposed,” Draco warned. “Based on what Kingsley said, they’ve probably got wards that monitor the wizards entering and leaving the city. They could be watching us at all times.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Harry said impatiently, “I’ve done this before you know. Just because I overslept this morning doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do my job-“

Draco cut him off. “What I meant,” he said delicately, a blush creeping to his cheeks, “is that as soon as we step through we need to start acting.” 

Harry looked at him, confused. “Acting?”

“Merlin, Harry! Pretend we’re together! Hold my fucking hand!” said Draco, exasperated. 

It was Harry’s turn to blush. “Oh. Right. Sorry.” Clumsily, he took Draco’s hand in his own, and they stepped through the curtain of mist. 

As they walked hand-in-hand down the busy streets of Berlin, Harry couldn’t help marveling at how _natural _it felt. Draco’s hand fit neatly against his own. It wasn’t anything like holding hands with Ginny. Her hands were much smaller than his, but rough and calloused from Quidditch. In contrast, Draco’s hand was soft and smooth against his own, and roughly the same size as Harry’s. Their hands fit together with a steady kind of pressure that was weirdly comforting.__

____

Harry shook his head. He needed to start dating again; this was absurd. He hadn’t realized just how lonely he was. 

____

“Pot- erm- _Henry? _” Draco asked tentatively, interrupting his thoughts.__

______ _ _

“Sorry, ‘m mind was wandering,” Harry said, “did you say something?” 

______ _ _

“I just asked what you knew about Berlin,” Draco replied. 

______ _ _

“Not much,” Harry admitted. 

______ _ _

“Me neither…” Draco agreed. A dead end. Silence fell between them, and Harry felt Draco’s hand shift awkwardly in his own. 

______ _ _

“I think that’s the hotel up there,” said Draco, pointing with his free hand to a large building on their right. 

______ _ _

“Wonderful,” said Harry, breathing out a grateful sigh of relief for the distraction. 

______ _ _

Draco raised an eyebrow. 

______ _ _

“I just meant- I was- …it looks nice…” Harry stuttered. 

______ _ _

“Right,” Draco said with a smirk, “that it does. C’mon. Lets go check in.”

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for feedback so please don't be shy! If anyone speaks German/has taken a German class/etc please let me know because I'd like to incorporate some German words/phrases into later chapters but I have literally no knowledge of German.


	4. One Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short! I was going to post Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 at the same time but I know I'm going to be really busy over the next few days and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write so I decided to spread them out. Stay tuned for Chapter 5 tomorrow though...

“I can’t believe they only got us one room!” Harry said indignantly when they reached their suite. 

“Shh!” Draco hissed fiercely. “Wait ‘till we’re inside!”

When the door closed behind them, Harry and Draco lifted their wands in unison and cast the protective enchantments that would protect them from being the subject of any surveillance in their own space. Once the enchantments were cast, their own disguises fell away and they were themselves once more. 

Draco placed his bag on an armchair and sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Harry familiarized himself with their accommodations. “Are you really surprised though? About them putting us together?” he asked Harry, who was flicking through the channels on the muggle television. 

“Mm? No, I suppose not,” Harry answered honestly. “A little warning might have been nice though. There’s not even two beds!” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “Honestly, you’re acting quite childishly about this whole thing Potter. It’s not the end of the world. There’s a sofa and plenty of blankets; we’ll just make up a second bed there and take it in turns.” 

Harry snorted. “I’m being childish?! You’re one to talk, Mr. ‘Don’t Expect Me To Be Thrilled About It’ Malfoy. You couldn’t even look at me yesterday!” 

“Right- that was- …I just needed some time to adjust to the idea,” Draco clarified. “It’s work. We’re adults. Honestly, it’s not that different from other disguises we’ve done for missions.” 

“If you say so,” said Harry. He walked over to the fireplace and prodded it with his wand.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked suspiciously. 

“Flooing someone,” Harry replied, “what’s it to you?” 

“No you’re not,” Draco said with a smirk. “No contact unless it’s an emergency. Kingsley said so this morning.”

“Damn,” said Harry, waving his wand and extinguishing the flames. “I’m never oversleeping again. So it’s just you and me then?” 

“Just you and me,” agreed Draco solemnly. 

“For two whole weeks.” 

“Count ‘em.” 

“ _Damn, _” said Harry for the second time.__

____

***

____

Harry woke from a nap that afternoon to find Draco mulling over a piece of parchment. He crossed the room to peer over his shoulder. “What’s that?” he asked Draco curiously. 

____

“List of places that Macnair frequents,” Draco explained, “Kingsley gave it to me this morning. It’s mostly restaurants, bars and clubs. Macnair bartends, you see. And it appears that when he’s not working the bar, he spends an awful lot of time on the other side of the counter.” 

____

“Brilliant,” Harry said with a grin. “This’ll be fun! We’ve just got to go for drinks and we’re technically doing our job.”

____

“We can’t drink on the job,” Draco said, with an air of feigned superiority. “Honestly Potter, has your head gone soft?” 

____

Harry laughed and gestured to the list. “Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but I think it’s safe to say we’re going to need some drinks to pass convincingly as a couple at Berlin’s largest gay club. Besides, we’re supposed to be blending in. Who turns up at these kinds of establishments and doesn’t order a drink.” 

____

“If you say so,” Draco said with a shrug, “after all, you’re in charge here.” 

____

Harry laughed sarcastically. He had never felt less in charge of a mission in his entire career. In fact, he felt quite unhinged. To distract himself, he asked “so, where are we headed tonight?”

____

Draco glanced down at the list again. “Macnair has tonight off,” he said, “so there’s a couple places he could go. We’ll just have to pick one and hope for the best.” 

____

“Right,” said Harry, “I’ll leave that up to you. I think I’ll have a shower, and then we should find someplace for dinner.”

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! Follow @maraudersmapped on Instagram to get in touch with me, submit fic requests, etc. 
> 
> Still looking for a beta, so please get in touch if you have experience and are interested! :)


	5. FAKE GAY RELATIONSHIP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge apology for not posting this yesterday as promised!! I didn't have time to edit yesterday and I wanted to make sure I was happy with it before posting. Sorry!

“Did you decide where to go tonight?” Harry asked Draco after they’d ordered their food. They were seated across from each other at an impossibly small table in the back corner of a busy restaurant. A single candle rested on the surface between them, and glancing around the room Harry noticed that the entire restaurant was lit by candlelight. 

“Bar Sofia,” Draco answered, looking up at Harry. “It’s close to the hotel and there’s a good chance Mac- …. _our friend_ will be there. He paused, then added “Also, I think we should ease ourselves into this. Most of our other options definitely involve dancing…” 

Harry nodded quickly in agreement then wracked his brains for a new topic of conversation. He was trying to avoid thinking about the mechanics of their staged relationship, but he knew they’d have to face it eventually. When they went out together, they were going to have to be physically intimate with one another to pass as a couple. Glancing around the restaurant, Harry noticed many other pairs openly acting affectionate across their tables. “Apparently we’re already behind…” he muttered. 

“Whats that?” Draco asked, meeting Harry’s eyes. 

Harry felt his cheeks get warm. “Was just thinking aloud,” he said, “don’t worry about it.” 

“Tell me what you meant,” Draco said evenly. 

“What?” Harry feigned ignorance.

“You heard me Pott- Port- Henry!” Draco stuttered, but recovered quickly. “You looked around the room and said ‘apparently we’re already behind.’ What did you mean?” 

“Is calling me by anything other than a surname really _that_ difficult for you, _Jake?_ ” Harry asked with a smirk. 

“Don’t change the subject,” Draco growled. 

“What subject?” Harry asked, shrugging his shoulders theatrically. “I wasn’t discussing anything.” 

Draco let out a groan of exasperation and opened his mouth with a comeback, but before he could speak the waiter interrupted them. 

“Gentleman, your meals! Guter Appetit!” 

For a few minutes, they ate without speaking. When the silence grew awkward, Harry asked, “how’s your food?” 

“Tell me what you meant.” 

“You’re a stubborn prick, you know.” 

“So I’ve been told. What did you mean?” 

Harry clamped his mouth shut and examined his potatoes carefully, as though searching for their hidden mysteries.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” Draco asked, laying his fork and knife down and staring fiercely at Harry.

Harry finished examining his potatoes, and turned his attention to his greens.

“You’re being childish,” Draco sulked, his voice verging on whiny. 

It was too much. “And you’re being insolent!” Harry burst out. “Can’t a man eat his dinner in peace?!” 

“I _could_ , if you’d just tell me what you meant!” Draco retorted. 

Harry glanced around the room again. Everywhere he looked, couples were holding hands and staring adoringly into each other’s eyes. Some of the pairs sitting in booths were actually cuddled up against one another. Harry felt vulnerable and exposed, as if their lack of public affection was a neon sign flashing **FAKE GAY RELATIONSHIP; JUST HERE FOR WORK AND SNACKS** above their heads in brilliant yellow. 

Across the table, Draco was eyeing Harry steadily as he waited for a response. Harry looked down. Draco’s hands were resting on the table where he’d laid down his fork and knife moments earlier. Taking a deep breath, Harry reached forward and took Draco’s hands in his own.

Blood rushed to Draco’s cheeks as he bowed his head to look at their hands, shocked by the sudden and unexpected contact. Harry seized this opportunity. He leaned forward across the (now conveniently) small table and gently pressed his lips to Draco’s forehead. Draco made a small choking noise, but he didn’t back away. 

Harry felt as though every nerve in his body was suddenly concentrated in his lips. He could feel his own pulse against Draco’s head, a strange rhythmic pounding that was suddenly foreign to him. One, two, three beats and he pulled away, the soft tingle where he’d pressed against strands of Draco’s hair still lingering on his lips.

“What are you doing?” Draco hissed, recovering from his shock but still staring intently at their interlocked hands. 

Harry looked down at their hands as well, mostly to avoid looking at Draco. “Answering your question, you prat,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I said ‘apparently we’re already behind.’ You asked what I meant. Look around.” Draco looked up as Harry continued. “Every couple here is being all… _touchy feely _. We weren’t, so therefore we were behind. Behind them. As in, being less affectionate.” The explanation fell from his mouth in short, clipped phrases. Harry didn’t think he was making much sense.__

__Draco let out a long breath, then squeezed Harry’s hands lightly and said with a laugh, “its not a competition or a race, you know.”_ _

__“Shut up,” said Harry, but the corners of his mouth creeped up into a smile._ _

__Draco held Harry’s hands for a half a moment longer, then pulled away. “Are you going to finish that,” he asked, looking down at Harry’s plate, “or should I ask for the check?”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As always, please leave feedback!! Next update will probably be a few days because finals :/ I'll do my best to get it up soon though! 
> 
> Check out @maraudersmapped on insta!


	6. He's Not My Type

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I abandoned this fic but then megan reminded me it existed and called it one of her favorites and since I'm a sucker for positive feedback I impulsively wrote chapter 6... THIS IS WHY I NEVER SLEEP

The bar was already crowded when they arrived, and it took them a while to find a counter with two open seats. It wasn’t long before the bartender, a tall man with poorly bleached hair, approached them. 

“Welcome to Bar Sofia! Can I get you gentlemen some drinks?” he asked pleasantly. 

“Yes please,” said Harry, “I’ll have a whiskey neat. And he’ll have…” Harry trailed off, waiting for Draco to finish his sentence. 

“An Old Fashioned, please,” Draco said. 

Harry slid a credit card out of his wallet and passed it to the bartender, who took the card with a smile and walked away to the register behind the counter. Harry and Draco, like most of the other Aurors, had credit cards, bank accounts, and official identification for their aliases. Most of it was enchanted; for example, the picture and information on Harry’s muggle license changed as he adopted new names and appearances for his missions. Very rarely did Aurors complete missions entirely in the wizarding world. In fact, very few wizard-only communities even existed anymore. Most wizards lived in secret alongside muggles, with neighborhoods like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade becoming less common as wizarding communities grew and expanded. 

The bartender returned, handing the credit card back to Harry. “Your tab is open and ready to go,” he said with a wink, “and I’ll get you those drinks now.”

As Harry tucked the card back into his wallet, Draco gave him a long look. “You know, you aren’t obligated to buy me drinks” he said quietly. 

“You bought dinner,” Harry said, shrugging. “It’s only fair.”

Draco nodded slowly. “If you say so.” 

They were interrupted by the bartender, who returned with their drinks. “Here you are,” he said, setting the glasses down in front of them. Almost in unison, Harry and Draco lifted the drinks to their mouths. The bartender smiled. “I’m going to go help some other customers, but I’ll be around to check on you in a bit. Holler if you need anything before then!” 

As he turned and walked away, Harry noticed Draco eyeing his retreating form. “See something you like?” he asked Draco with a smirk. 

“What? No!” Draco spluttered indignantly. “I just got distracted. Jeez.” 

“So he distracts you…” Harry raised an eyebrow suggestively. “My own boyfriend, checking out the bartender….what a scandal!” 

“I’m not — I just — He’s not my type…” 

Harry took a gulp of his drink. “So what is your type then?” 

Draco blushed and sipped his own drink to avoid answering. A moment passed and then he lowered his voice and leaned close to Harry. “We’re in a relationship, remember? I don’t think it helps our cover if we sit here and discuss who I’m attracted to. We don’t know who might be listening.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re just avoiding my question,” he said. He took another drink, and vaguely realized that he felt a little bit tingly and lightheaded. Before he could fully process this, he found himself leaning over and shoving Draco playfully. “Fine, then. If we can’t talk about that, can we talk about how attractive you find me? You know, since we’re in a relationship and everything…”

Draco flushed an even deeper red, shivering slightly at the contact. He recovered quickly, however, and smirked at Harry. “You clearly don’t need any reminders. Wouldn’t want to inflate your ego any further.” 

“Hey!” Harry feigned offense. “What kind of boyfriend are you anyways?” 

“One who definitely needs another drink if he’s going to deal with you all night,” Draco replied, lifting his glass to his lips and draining it in a long gulp. 

As Draco set the glass back down on the table and raised his hand to signal the bartender, Harry couldn’t help noticing the way the dim light of the bar flickered against the moisture on Draco’s lips. 

Harry looked away quickly and took another drink. It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally no promises about if/when I will update this again because I have 3924025 commitments right now fml :))


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